Today we’re covering the Darwin Hill map, improvements to Red Desert and a visual overhaul to two air maps!

Darwin Hill for Ground Battles

In the next major update, we’re heading to the South Atlantic to the Falkland Islands! The map is based on the Darwin Hill area near the settlement of Darwin, the site of fierce clashes between British commandos and Argentine forces. The archipelago’s landscape here is distinctive, with a treeless plain biome, rugged rocky coasts and yellow thicket gorse, which is a favorite among tourists from around the world.

We’ve paid special attention to the architecture of the buildings. There is no centralized water supply in the Falklands; instead, rainwater collection tanks and cisterns can be seen at every house. The buildings are predominantly single-story, and due to the harsh climate, almost every farm has its own greenhouses and fenced enclosures for poultry and livestock. For centuries, local residents have relied on the sea as well as livestock farming for their livelihood, so the bays and inlets are densely dotted with piers, fishing boats, and small yachts.

There are a few Easter eggs on the map! You’ll find stylized, homemade posters created by the locals, reimagined to fit the War Thunder universe.

Welcome to the edge of the world! The South Atlantic winds are waiting for your tanks and aircraft.

Improvements to Red Desert

We’re continuing to work on map balance, and this time we’ve made changes to Red Desert. The main issue was that a large portion of the map was exposed to fire from elevated areas. We’ve significantly toned down these positions, all while preserving the concept of high-ground firefights while eliminating their overwhelming dominance. We also lowered the terrain elevation around the spawn points to better shield vehicles from fire shortly after spawning.

We’ve paid special attention to the A point area in the Domination mode. The high-ground positions surrounding it have been leveled out, and the point itself is now situated in a spacious natural depression. This transforms the battle for the center into intense, thrilling close-quarters combat, giving players a better chance to seize the initiative without the constant fear of being shot from across the map. We look forward to seeing you on the revamped Red Desert map!

Improvements to Air Locations

We’ve not forgotten about pilots either! While we work on a major update to the core rendering technology for air maps, we’re continuing to revamp the visuals of older locations. In the upcoming major update, we’ll introduce completely overhauled versions of the Falkland Islands and Afghanistan maps. We’ve primarily enhanced terrain detail; for the Falklands, we also utilized a more accurate heightmap from the new ground-vehicle version of the map, resulting in much more natural and varied terrain. All surface textures have been completely reworked using real satellite imagery, making the landscape look far more lifelike and authentic.

As for the map’s content, we’ve added a host of new assets to bring the desert expanses to life. You’ll now encounter distinctive suburban structures, kilns, and clay pits, all of which lend the location a unique character and better capture the region’s atmosphere.

That’s all for now! Stay tuned to the news about the upcoming major update, as there’s plenty of exciting stuff ahead!